The project dashboard is a free tool that is only available to verified hoteliers to make adopting new technology easier by streamlining their research and simplifying their communication workflow.
TLDR
We analyzed 57 verified hotelier reviews, compared feature sets, pricing, and real-world case studies to break down where each platform delivers. The right choice depends on your property type and priorities:
Counter shines in ease of use and customer support , with exclusive features like Payment processing and Housekeeping module.
High Level Software shines .
Side-by-side ratings based on 57 verified hotelier reviews on HTR.
| HTScore |
|
|
| Likelihood to Recommend |
|
|
| Ease of Use |
|
|
| Customer Support |
|
|
| Value for Money |
|
|
| Starting Price | Contact sales | Contact sales |
| Verified Reviews | 57 | 0 |
After analyzing 57 verified reviews, Counter users most value its user interface and usability, customer support, automated features, while High Level Software users highlight . Click any theme to see what reviewers say.
|
|
High Level Software |
|---|---|
| Pros | |
|
+
User interface and usability
▾
|
|
|
+
Customer support
▾
|
|
|
+
Automated features
▾
|
|
|
+
Platform integration
▾
|
|
| Cons | |
|
−
Bug issues
▾
|
|
|
−
Reporting and revenue management
▾
|
|
|
−
Pricing
▾
|
|
How each product ranks among Property Management Systems vendors for different property sizes, types, and regions — based on verified reviews from hoteliers in each segment.
By Hotel Size
| Segment |
|
High Level Software |
|---|---|---|
| Small (10-24 rooms) ▾ | #26 28 reviews | — |
| Mid-Size (25-74 rooms) | #46 4 reviews | — |
| Large (75-199 rooms) | #32 2 reviews | — |
| X-Large (200+ rooms) | #31 1 reviews | — |
By Property Type
| Segment |
|
High Level Software |
|---|---|---|
| Boutique ▾ | #31 16 reviews | — |
| Luxury | #44 4 reviews | — |
| Branded / Chain | #43 4 reviews | — |
| Extended Stay ▾ | #32 5 reviews | — |
By Region
| Segment |
|
High Level Software |
|---|---|---|
| North America ▾ | #25 8 reviews | — |
| Europe ▾ | #20 25 reviews | — |
| Asia Pacific | #16 4 reviews | — |
| Middle East | #11 2 reviews | — |
Choosing a property management system (PMS) can be a game-changer for your hotel, especially when comparing Counter by Counter and High Level Software’s hotel management system. Both aim to streamline operations, but they serve different hotel segments and come with distinct strengths. Counter focuses on hostels, offering dedicated features and a proven track record, while High Level Software’s solution is broader, targeting larger hotels and chains. Which platform aligns best with your current needs and future growth?
Counter excels with a solid reputation in the hostel sector, boasting a 4.73/5 overall rating from 54 reviews, and recent feedback confirms its current effectiveness. It provides an extensive set of features that cater to hostel-specific operations, including a channel manager, integrated booking engine, and multi-currency support, all with a user-friendly mobile interface. Conversely, High Level Software has no recent reviews or ratings, indicating a lack of recent user feedback and market presence, especially outside niche hotel segments.
While Counter’s reviews emphasize ease of use, support responsiveness, and a wide range of functionalities, High Level Software’s lack of recent reviews makes it difficult to assess its current performance. Are you willing to rely on a platform with verifiable, recent user feedback, or are you exploring options without clear user insights?
If your hotel is a hostel, small inn, or boutique operation focused on simplicity and quick onboarding, Counter is the clear choice. It’s designed specifically for hostels, with 83% of its users in this segment, and its 4.75/5 hotel segment rating confirms high satisfaction. Its comprehensive feature set, including POS, guest CRM, and automation, supports small teams in managing check-ins, bookings, and guest data efficiently.
On the other hand, if your hotel is a larger property, chain, or requires a broad, enterprise-level management system, High Level Software might seem appealing. But without recent reviews or verified features, its suitability remains unproven. For now, Counter offers proven value for small to medium-sized hostels and boutique hotels seeking a reliable, feature-rich PMS with support for growth.
Counter’s user-friendly design is a standout, earning a 4.6/5 ease of use rating and consistent praise for its intuitive interface, mobile accessibility, and straightforward onboarding. Users highlight its simplicity for staff training and daily operations, with many noting that it requires little teaching and reduces operational stress. Support responsiveness further enhances usability, with team members like Evelyn and Max praised for their quick and helpful responses.
High Level Software, lacking recent reviews, offers no current data on its interface or onboarding experience. Its absence from recent user feedback suggests uncertainty about its ease of use or current user satisfaction levels.
Edge: Counter.
Counter offers 19 unique features, including a channel manager, booking engine, automated night audit, guest CRM, multi-lingual support, and ancillary revenue tracking. These functions are tailored for hostel needs, providing tools for group bookings, flexible rates, and online support, making it a comprehensive solution for small operations.
High Level Software claims to be a robust hotel management platform but provides no detailed feature list or recent validation. Without verified features or recent updates, Counter’s feature set stands out clearly as more complete and tailored to hostels and small hotels.
Edge: Counter.
Counter’s support team scores an impressive 4.96/5, with reviewers frequently praising its responsiveness and professionalism. Testimonials highlight rapid replies from team members like Evelyn and Max, especially during onboarding or troubleshooting. Customers appreciate the ongoing updates and willingness to improve the system based on user feedback.
High Level Software does not have recent reviews or ratings, so assessing its support quality is impossible. Its absence from recent feedback indicates a potential risk for support issues, especially when rapid resolution is critical.
Edge: Counter.
Counter connects with 7 verified partners, including prominent platforms like SiteMinder, Stripe, Cloudbeds, and Goki, offering extensive connectivity. These integrations cover channel management, payment processing, and access control, streamlining your operations and revenue streams.
High Level Software, with no verified integrations or partner data, leaves hoteliers uncertain about how it fits into an existing tech stack. Without confirmed integrations, Counter’s ecosystem provides a significant advantage for seamless operation.
Edge: Counter.
Counter enjoys a strong reputation among hostel and small hotel operators, with a 4.75/5 rating from 52 reviews, primarily from Europe, North America, and other regions. Its recent reviews praise its ease of use, support, and feature set. Larger hotels or chains have not provided recent feedback on High Level Software, so their satisfaction levels remain unverified.
The lack of recent reviews for High Level Software makes it impossible to assess current user satisfaction, which diminishes its credibility for decision-making.
Edge: Counter.
Counter does not publicly disclose its pricing but is known to be a paid platform without a freemium or free trial. Its value is reflected in a suite of features designed for small to medium hotels and hostels.
High Level Software also does not publish pricing information. The absence of transparent costs complicates direct comparison, but with Counter’s proven ROI and support, it offers better value for your investment.
Not ideal if you require a system for large-scale enterprise operations or advanced revenue management tools not available in Counter.
Not ideal if you operate a small hostel or boutique hotel, given the lack of recent user validation and unclear feature scope.
Counter by Counter is a well-established, highly rated PMS tailored for hostels and small hotels, with recent reviews backing its effectiveness. Its extensive features, ease of use, and top-tier support make it a reliable choice for properties looking to streamline operations and improve guest experiences.
High Level Software’s hotel management system, while potentially suitable for larger properties, currently lacks recent reviews and verified features. Without recent validation, it cannot confidently be recommended over Counter for most hotel types.
For small to medium properties, especially hostels, Counter remains the more proven, user-approved option. Larger hotels or chains may need to evaluate other systems with more transparent, current data before making a decision.
In conclusion, if recent reviews and a proven track record matter most, Counter by Counter is the clear choice.
Property Management Systems pricing is rarely straightforward. Here is what we know from each vendor's public pricing data. Always request a custom quote for your property size.
|
|
High Level Software |
|---|
According to HTR's product database, Counter and Hotel management system share 0 features. Here are the key differences — features one has that the other lacks.
| Feature |
|
High Level Software |
|---|---|---|
| Booking Engine | ||
| Calendar view | ||
| Channel Manager | ||
| Custom rates | ||
| Payment processing | ||
| RevPaR & ADR Reports |
Showing top differences. 7 more features differ between these products.
What hoteliers love
Hoteliers find Counter's interface clean, intuitive, and user-friendly, making it easy to train new staff quickly. The mobile and desktop interfaces w... Hoteliers find Counter's interface clean, intuitive, and user-friendly, making it easy to train new staff quickly. The mobile and desktop interfaces work well, allowing managers to handle tasks remotely. It is particularly noted for its simplicity in calendar and calendar management.
The support team at Counter is frequently praised for its responsiveness and helpfulness. Staff like Evelyn and Max receive specific mentions for thei... The support team at Counter is frequently praised for its responsiveness and helpfulness. Staff like Evelyn and Max receive specific mentions for their professionalism. However, there are concerns about slower support in certain time zones.
Users appreciate Counter's automated features that include tasks like contactless check-in, automating credit card charges, and managing bookings acro... Users appreciate Counter's automated features that include tasks like contactless check-in, automating credit card charges, and managing bookings across platforms. This automation reduces staff workload and improves operational efficiency.
Where hoteliers push back
Several hoteliers mention persistent bugs in the system, particularly issues with overbookings, bed availability display, and system errors during boo... Several hoteliers mention persistent bugs in the system, particularly issues with overbookings, bed availability display, and system errors during booking cancellations. These bugs have a negative impact on daily operations and guest experience.
Hoteliers appreciate Counter's reporting capabilities but note that the reports can be improved for better insights. Revenue management features are s... Hoteliers appreciate Counter's reporting capabilities but note that the reports can be improved for better insights. Revenue management features are seen as lacking, particularly for businesses operating on multiple rate plans or using dynamic pricing.
Unique capabilities
Where the ratings diverge most
It depends on your requirements. Counter and Hotel management system share many core Property Management Systems features, but each has unique capabilities. Counter offers 7 verified integration partners, while Hotel management system offers 0. Review the feature comparison above to see where they differ before switching.
Small hotels should prioritize ease of use and fast onboarding. Counter leads in ease of use at 4.6/5 vs 0.0/5. Look for transparent pricing and a trial or demo option. Filter reviews on each product page by property size to hear from hotels like yours.
Counter: No. Hotel management system: No. Neither product currently offers a free tier. Most Property Management Systems vendors offer demos or trials — request one from each to evaluate before committing.
The HT Score is a composite ranking that considers 4 criteria groups and over a dozen variables to help hoteliers objectively compare hotel technology products. Counter has an HT Score of 17 and High Level Software has 0. Here is how the score is calculated.
| Criteria Group | Weight | What It Measures |
|---|---|---|
| Customer Ratings & Reviews |
|
How highly do users recommend this product? Ratings Score, Review Volume, Share of Voice, Review Depth, Review Recency, Success Stories ▾ The most heavily weighted factor. Analyzes average satisfaction ratings (likelihood to recommend, ease of use, support, ROI), total review count relative to category peers, review recency (at least 20 reviews in the trailing 6 months), and share of voice across unique hotel clients to detect selection bias. |
| Partner Ecosystem |
|
How highly do tech partners recommend this company? Partner Recommendations, Integration Quantity, Integration Quality ▾ Evaluates partner recommendations as expert votes of confidence, the number of verified integrations, and ecosystem quality — the average HT Scores of integration partners. Products with higher-quality integration ecosystems are more likely to deliver a connected tech stack. |
| Customer Centricity |
|
How customer-centric is this organization? Certified Support, Review Consistency, Profile Completeness ▾ Assesses whether the company has earned HTR Customer Support Certification, maintains consistent review collection over time (an indicator of feedback-driven culture), and keeps product profiles complete with capabilities, screenshots, pricing, and features. |
| Reach, Staying Power & Resources |
|
How extensive is this company's reach and resourcing? Geographic Reach, Staying Power, Company Resources, Trending Score ▾ Measures global presence (countries and regions served), years in business as a stability proxy, team headcount as a resource proxy, and a trending score based on trailing-twelve-month buyer inquiries, reviews, partner recommendations, and press activity. |
Customer ratings and reviews are by far the most important factor in the HT Score algorithm. HTR does not accept payment for higher rankings. All reviews are verified — only hotel industry practitioners with confirmed affiliations can submit ratings. View full HT Score methodology →
Product recommendations advisor